The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-05-19
SCOTLAND'S SUNDAY.
THE EDINBURGH SABBATH CON-
MeNces ON SATURDAY NIGHT
Everybody in Best ~" ANU
c,urcbvard Mountaineering on scrip
-, the yard-stillness OF the
s,rests-The Churches


ono must come from the north mo Inn
,rrcb either by Fife or Stirring 'o'.v -
S,rling bv all means, for there Is 10 o''.''o a.
- that sits so proudly on us great 'o'N
1Sl,,,if,i Stirling. But rs you love your
go never GO into the Scotch capl'ai Oh
-, Nowhere IN all the World does To
~, cramp is devotees with so ueh' a u. a.
sec.o,iond Perhaps the japanese ana tine
,,c,ro., are the only people VINO ie"''9 my
their religion. In Germany no on SENS U"
,-a,.anv In France Spain and liaiy tnes
-. il, the morning for fear OF hell ire' ana
dance in tho afternoon with JOY because '"'"
49,, l. dome I'm England, they pray because
,heir forefathers prayed and because 10 Is one
- the customs Of the country; then lnoy pas
,I,o ro.t ~ the day as pleasantly as they can
without giving bad example 70 lhe low"
L. In America-well, in America IL can
mn, bo saii that religion is allowed 70 inter
s.,e seriouslv with the comfort of any one
sunday. and therefore to an American the
full Hedged, divinity hedged Sco'ch o""'''"
is something Of "a curiosity
The sabbath had already commenced on
tho Saturday night as we drove past the
,,reat shining hostelres ON Princes street TO
CIV little hotel on ST Andrews square A
lmstlinc landlady and three buxom maids
met us in the little vestibule where a grea'
bowl Of the little, white, frosty narcis'us made
the air sweet and fresh.
THE ONLY FuvoLIIY.
Every one-man, woman ana chiil -Seeiiis
70 love the little white flower, and 10 wear u
AS Familiarity as they wear the buttons on
their coats But this was the only irlNohly
that could be seen in Edinburgh on tnis hoiy
Saturday evening. For the sabbath bad al
ready begun with preparation aud prayer
and there was even "a stiffness IN the streets
such AS is unw0nted ON a Saturday night I'D
les holy communities
Either the busting landlady or one OF the
buxom maids left little notice on the toAet
table 10 the effect that services took place ON
Sunday. in the morning from II TO l, IN the
afternoon from 2:l5 10 !, and in the evening
from $50 10 s. and in some more devout chap
els from 10 $50 The great keeper of items
will remember on the last day which one we
chose When we came into the bright, wide,
clean streets next morning, all Edinburgh
was there in its best bib and tucker church
ward bound The curious part Of IT 20 am
American eve was that tie men went 70
church just as scrupulously as the women, for
at home religion is for women alone
There never was a Scotchman yet, from
Douce David Deans forward or back, who
could not reel off the Scriptures by the yard
and the flavor IL gives their conversation
makes it rich and strong. They looked 70 be
dogmatic aud thoroughly convinced set of
men as they plodded along through the Sab
bath stiffness of the classic city, composing
themselves as they went for prayers. Mothers,
wives and sisters were dispo / 20 relax a
little of their usual SUNDAY syerty-for
there were whole h0cks Of lads 'Om II 20 il
years. who looked queerly enc gh in their
short roundabout jackets, tall sony hats and
big white collars, in the groups We heard
that it was vacation time IN the biz public
schools Of Great Britain, and these would be
merry lads were home for their holiday.
Solemn little men they looked % Ice, with
something family suggestive Of Charles
Dickens boys in their manni>h clothes, but
they became common sights enough as we
wandered farther south, and the utility coat
Of the American youth began 20 seem old
fashioned instead.
STIFFNESS OF TIE STREETS.
The curious stiffness Of the streets finally
began 10 explain itself, for every horse in
Edinburgh was having his Sabbath in IBIS
comfortable stall and not a wheel rolled Do
the great, clean, hilly streets Even the
tramways We're silent and deserted-no one
hears of "a street car from the time they leave
New York till they get back agaln-and
every one who wanted TO 60 70 church went
on foot
There are plenty Of churches for them
all. though the traveller cares for little else in
that line than historic ST. Giles, whose sharp
steeple doomed temptngly at us through the
mild haze that hung over the classic city only
20 make IL more beautiful
We did find goddess young fellow stand
ing by hanson cab down i'm Princes street,
that beautiful terrac. thoroughfhre which IS
the pride Of aud Reekie, and we did rattle
along in 1t through discomfort for mile or
two, with the vain hope of seeing some sights
and not losing AN entire day But we soon
perceived by the amazed faces of the multi.
tude who arrested themselves and gazed in
stony horror at the mere sight of us, that we
were really shocking their honest prejudices
So We aighted, much discounted and hu-
inflated We gave the cabman "a sound rating
first, for driving his cab on a Sunday and
breaking the Sabbath himself. and then for
permitting Us, who were strangers TO the
country, % break it over again.
But the cabby refused 20 feel badly; pro
claimed himself English born, with no care
for Scotch nonsense, and for his part had
never seen any American who knew when
Sunday came. This gratuitious reflection on
the entire nation we passed coldly, and pro
ceeded 70 do little sight seeing ON foot
There is a long dip like the swing of ham
mock, between the great castle ON It's impreg
nable hin al the one end, and the towers aud
monuments and column of the Cation bin ON
The other.-Betsy b. in San Francisco Argo-
maui
Springtime sports In Texas.
sheet with hole In the center was fast